The Carolina Hurricanes (5-6-3) have just two wins in their last eight, and during a stretch like that, questions are naturally going to be asked about the coach.

Questions like, “How does this guy still have a job?”

Paul Maurice has been behind the bench since December of 2008 and has failed to lead Carolina to the playoffs the last two seasons. But according to GM Jim Rutherford, Maurice will be around at least a bit longer.

“The easiest thing when you’ve lost a couple of games as bad as we lost them is to start pointing at the coach or the coaches,” Rutherford told the News & Observer yesterday. “It takes everybody when it comes time to win, and it takes everybody when it comes time to lose. We need to get back to work and get back to playing the style of game our team did when we were winning games.

“Now, if we’re talking again in a six- or-seven game losing streak, I’ll probably be in a different frame of mind and answer those (coaching) questions differently. Let’s get back on track. If not, I’ll look at all the situations differently.”

Rutherford and Maurice go way back, but Rutherford’s fired his good friend before (during the 2003-04 season), so you know he’ll pull the trigger if he has to. Sort of like in the mafia. It’s only business. Except with less shiny suits.

The ‘Canes are in New Jersey tonight looking to snap a two-game losing streak that’s seen them outscored by a combined 10-3. After the Devils, they’ll take on the Rangers in New York, followed by home games against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Suffice to say Maurice has his work cut out if he doesn’t want to get clipped.

Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk has been the most difficult goalies to score against this season. Leave it to a high-level player like Leon Draisaitl to make it look this, well, “easy.”

Draisaitl scored his 13th goal of 2016-17 by capping this pretty give-and-go play with Benoit Pouliot. You can see the frustration from Dubnyk at the end of the tally, as if he was saying “How was I supposed to stop that?” (though probably with more colorful language).

Draisaitl came into Friday with five goals and three assists in his last five games, so he’s been almost unstoppable lately.